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Sarah Kim - The First Recipient Of The Joe Bennett Leadership Award
Congratulations to Sarah Kim for being honored as the first recipient of the Joseph Young "Joe" Bennett Leadership Award and receiving a scholarship for her studies in Mechanical Engineering.
The goal of the Polymers Foundation, an extension of The Polymers Center, is to encourage, empower, and invest in the advancement of the polymers industry. Providing educational opportunities to people interested in entering the field is one of the most important efforts of the foundation - as well as, supporting the objective of promoting scientific knowledge and advancing technology.
Assisting Students Advance In Their Study Of The Sciences
“We have partnered with UNCC, as well as other community colleges to help fund the education of potential plastics professionals. By investing in relationships and people, we can improve opportunities, access to research, and education. We take this charge very seriously,” states Phil Shoemaker, Director of The Polymers Foundation.
The Joe Bennett Leadership Award
The Polymers Center established the Joseph Young "Joe" Bennett Leadership Award in 2023 to celebrate and carry forward Joe Bennett’s tremendous legacy and contributions to the plastics industry. In September 2024, the Polymers Foundation awarded their first scholarship to Sarah Kim, a Mechanical Engineering student at UNC Charlotte.
Recipient Of The Joe Bennett Award: Sarah Kim, BSME '26
Sarah Kim is a junior pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in biomedical engineering from the William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte. Her passion for math and science drives her interest in the field, as she aspires to use these skills to design innovations that can positively impact the world. Sarah is also involved in the Engineering Leadership Academy, a program designed to develop future engineering leaders.
The Polymers Foundation is proud to offer this award and funding to Sarah Kim. The foundation would also like to thank the generous patrons who gift the organization with monetary donations, as well as machinery, apparatus, and instrumentation. If you are a student interested in the scholarship, a patron interested in donating, or want to know more about the Polymers Foundation, please contact Phil Shoemaker at pshoemaker@polymers-center.org or 704-602-4100.
